The author is a Forbes contributor. The opinions expressed are those of the writer.

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In addition to being a rising labor and economic force, Net Gen consumers are the undisputed arbiters of coolness and are redefining the brand experience. They aren't easily influenced by traditional mass media, advertising dependant brand-building techniques. Net Gen is all about dialogue: word-of-mouth sharing over the Web on topics, issues and experiences that are personally relevant to them and their friends.

To reach Net Gen audiences, companies have to approach their brand-building strategies in a new way. The channels of the Net Gen world are social media, design, branded content, retail experiences, events and partnerships. Through these channels and a commitment to authenticity, companies establish a level of emotional connection with the Net Gen that rapidly accelerates the brand-building process. The barriers to entry in social media are much lower than in very high cost traditional media.

For companies that succeed in creating the right mix of these factors, the payoff is big: the Net Gen will talk about and engage with results that can multiply and reverberate around the world in an Internet minute. If the old brand building equation saw time and media spend as the primary variables, the brands of tomorrow will rise through a combination of relevant brand character and the right channels, all multiplied by the exponential number of interactions these new channels naturally foster.

Because of their short histories and rapid growth, emerging market companies are not beholden to the past and they are often in a strong position to hitch their fortunes to the up and coming Net Gen audience.

For the time being, many big companies with roots in China and other emerging markets are invisible to global consumers. However, the business success – brand momentum gap – and the time it has historically taken to grow a global brand – may be providing a false sense of security to some well-established brands in the West. As emerging market companies leverage their home court advantage and discover ways to appeal to the Net Gen, top global brands should pay careful attention to the shifting competitive landscape. A few years from now, I predict that an increasing number of what are today unfamiliar or exotic-sounding company names will become not only big companies but truly global brands.

David Roman is senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Lenovo.